‘Our guest is a commanding officer, Stanley,’ explained Romily.
‘Does that make you important?’
He laughed. ‘Chance would be a fine thing!’
‘I wish I could be a pilot.’
Tony smiled. ‘Who knows, maybe one day when you’re old enough you could be one. No reason why not if you work hard enough at school. Do you like school?’
Stanley nodded. ‘I do now. I didn’t in London.’ He shrugged. ‘I didn’t go much. Me mum weren’t keen on it.’
‘Well take it from me, stick to the lessons and you’ll go far.’
‘Stanley,’ said Romily, approving greatly of Tony’s encouraging attitude, ‘do you think you could fetch another cup and saucer and a plate for Allegra, and if you’d like some cake, bring some plates for you and Annelise.’
When he’d scooted off at his usual breakneck speed, banging the door shut after him, Romily explained to their guest that Stanley was their evacuee.
‘I guessed as much,’ he said.
‘I can’t ever see him going home,’ said Allegra, warming herself in front of the fire. ‘His mother’s all but forgotten about him; she hasn’t been to see him once, she never writes.’
‘He’s lucky to have found such a welcoming home here then,’ said Tony. ‘Is Annelise your daughter?’ he asked Hope as the little girl climbed up onto the sofa where she was sitting.
‘I’m her guardian,’ Hope said. ‘She’s the daughter of my German sister-in-law who lives in Cologne and is married to a Jew. They thought she would be safer with me here in England.’
Tony shook his head. ‘The world’s turned into a very evil place,’ he said quietly, staring sadly at Annelise. ‘God knows how it’s all going to end.’
It was, Romily noted, as she observed their guest over the rim of her teacup, the first time he had shown a more mature and serious side to his personality.
Chapter Fifty-One
29th January, 1940
Dearest Flo,
I’ve been here for two weeks now and never known such cold. It’s freezing, proper brass-monkey weather. Some of the lads who’ve been here since the autumn reckon the cold is better than all the rain and mud they had to cope with when they first arrived. They also reckon we’ve got off lightly because they did most of the digging that had to be done. The joke is when they’re back in Civvy Street, they’ll be the best navvies going!
I enjoyed reading your last letter; it lifted my spirits a treat. It’s a great weight off my mind knowing you’re so much better now and have been well looked after. You landed on your feet when you started work with Mrs Devereux-Temple; she’s a good sort.
Tommy is becoming quite the joker amongst the pack here and regularly has me and Elijah in fits, along with all the other lads. Turns out he has a good ear for mimicking people and can do our sergeant to a T. Everyone says he should go on the stage when the war is over. Funny that all these years I’ve known him, he’s never shown this talent before. Just goes to show, you never really know a person, or yourself.
Thanks ever so for knitting the socks for me; they do a fine job of keeping the cold out. If you have time, I wouldn’t say no to some gloves as well.
I miss you so much more than I can put down on paper, Flo. I think of you every day, just as I always have since the first day we met. I miss your smiling face – and your tough scolding one too!
With all my love,
Billy X
*
3rd February, 1940
My dearest Allegra,
Thank you for your letter and the photograph you included of us on our wedding day. I still can’t believe that we’re actually married, that you agreed to be my wife. Sometimes when I wake in the night and think I imagined it, I look at that photograph and tell myself it really did happen. It’s my most treasured possession and I keep it safe in the pages of a small notebook in my pocket at all times.
I’m glad you accepted Mrs Devereux-Temple’s invitation to stay on at Island House during the cold weather while you wait for the baby to come. You don’t know what peace of mind that brings me. I expect it was only mice in the roof, and not rats as you thought, but maybe get old George Wiggins in to deal with them. Mrs Bunch will know his address.
